A Busy Day For Christ (2)
Notes
Transcript
Turn to and read Mark 1:21-39. Pray.
What does your “typical” day look like?
What does your “typical” day look like?
Mark chapter 1, as we began to look at last week, really “sets the stage” for Christ’s ministry. From Mark chapter 1, we are able to get a pretty good idea of how busy Christ truly was during His ministry on the earth.
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
Our days begin and end at Midnight/12 AM. The Jewish day, however, did not. They Jewish day began and ended at sunset, or approximately 6:00 PM. So the Jewish Sabbath day began at 6:00 PM on what we would consider to be Friday evening.
The following verses, Mark 1:21-32, tell us what Christ’s day included:
Christ taught in the synagogue.
Following Christ’s teaching, He cast out an unclean spirit in the synagogue.
After the services, Christ went to Peter’s home which, apparently, was located in close proximity to the synagogue. While there, Christ healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
“At even, when the sun did set,” which would have been the end of the Sabath (or 6:00 PM on Saturday evening) Christ was bombarded by the entire city.
And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
And all the city was gathered together at the door.
To end His day, Christ healed the sick and casts out many devils.
It would be easy to read through this account and not truly appreciate how “busy” Christ was during His earthly ministry.
Each day we live, we have at our disposal 24 hours—1,440 minutes—86,000 seconds. Someone calculated how a typical lifespan of seventy years is spent:
Sleep—23 years—32.9%
Work—16 years—22.8%
Television—8 years—11.4%
Eating—6 years—8.6%
Travel—6 years—8.6%
Leisure—4.5 years—6.5%
Illness—4 years—5.7%
Dressing—2 years—2.8%
Religion—0.5 years—0.7%
Now, consider this: Jesus Christ, when He was on this earth, had 24 hours - 1,440 minutes - 86,000 seconds. He had the same amount of time that we have. And yet, we would all likely agree that Christ accomplished much more with His time than any of us have ever dreamed!
How did He do it?
How did He do it?
Christ was only concerned with the will of God.
Christ was only concerned with the will of God.
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
What are you concerned with? What should you be concerned with?
The Heritage Foundation, a political “think tank,” says that Americans are concerned with “Conservatism vs. Progressivism;” Health Care; Immigration; Religious Freedom; Marriage; Education; Environment; Spending; Welfare and Election Integrity. While all of those are important, are they issues that we should be concerned with?
In Matthew 16:23 Jesus made a serious accusation to Peter...
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, what are you going to be concerned with? Are you going to be concerned with the will of God? Or are you going to be concerned with the will of your employer? Those are difficult questions that each of us must grapple with. They are questions that only we can answer for ourselves. But they are legitimate questions to ask.
Have you ever felt this way? Paul Chappell, in his book, Stewarding Life, wrote:
We live busy—but empty—days, and we end each of them wondering how we could have been so occupied accomplishing so little.
Chappell, Paul. Stewarding Life: One Lifetime, Limited Resources, Eternal Priorities (p. 42). Striving Together Publications. Kindle Edition.
So, how do we keep ourselves from becoming so busy while accomplishing so little of true importance? How do we discern God’s will? How did Christ discern God’s will? How did Christ discern what it was that He should concern Himself with? How can we live lives that, even though busy, are lives that accomplish much for Christ? We must follow Christ’s example. Christ concerned Himself with the will of God and...
Christ spent time with God in prayer.
Christ spent time with God in prayer.
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Martin Luther is quoted as having said: “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
If honest, we are generally the opposite, “I have so much to do that I can only spend three minutes in prayer!!”
We do more of everything else than of praying. E. M. Bounds
And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
How long has it been since you talked with the Lord
And told Him your heart’s hidden secrets?
How long since you prayed? How long since you stayed on your knees ‘till the light shone through?
As one commentator wrote:
Exploring the Gospel of Mark: An Expository Commentary (1) The Lord (1:35–37)
He also was like us in that He needed to get alone with His Father in heaven. His outer Man having been renewed by a few hours of sleep, His inner Man had to be renewed too. And He needed guidance for the day, which was even then tingeing the eastern sky with the first rosy signs of the dawn.
If Christ, during His earthly ministry found it necessary to spend time in prayer, how much more should we spend time in prayer?
D.L. Moody said...
“I’d rather be able to pray than be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught His disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.”
Abraham Lincoln said...
“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”
Hudson Taylor said...
“The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'”
This morning, ask yourself, “Am I concerned with God’s will? Or am I concerned with the will of men?”
Then ask yourself, “How long has it been since you talked - really talked with the Lord?”